Packing mechanism



July 3, 1951 c. D. RICE EI'AL PACKING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledMarch 28, 1946 e k mw l R C m m m m 0 E m m m %0 0V T N T 5% J 0 9 5July 3, 1951 c. D. RICE EI'AL PACTQ'ING YET 'YANISM 3 Shcets-Sheet 2Filed March 28, 1946 Cari/Ls Darwin xQ/ce C/enn Gordon Cook INVENTORS BYW jamfim,

ATTORNEYS July 3, 1951 c. D. RICE ETAL PACKING MECHANISM 3 Sheets-Sheet3 Filed March 28, 1946 Curt/(5 Darw/n Rice G/e/m Gordon Coo/r INVENTORSv 0. TTORNEYS Patented July 3, 1951 PACKING MECHANISM Curtis DarwinRice, Omaha, Nebr., and Glenn Gordon Cook, Babylon, N. Y., assignors toC01- gate-Palmolive-Peet Company, Jersey- City, N. J a corporation ofDelaware Application March 28, 1946, Serial No. 657,789

1-0 Claims.

This invention relates to apparatus for efliciently packing a pluralityof packages into a larger shipping case or container or the like with aminimum of effort by human attendants and particularly to guide andcontrol mechanism for handling the packages as they are accumulated andas they are being placed in the container.

In its preferred embodiment the invention will be described as used forpacking packages of powdered soap which have been previouslyindividually filled and sealed at an automatic or other suitable fillingmachine within a larger shipping container in which the packages. are tobe distributed to the wholesale and retail trades. V It will beunderstood, however, that the invention is not so limited and may beapplied to the filling of any containers with. a plurality of packagesfor shipping and like purposes. In general, the invention is designed tokeep the packing of such containers entirely under control of anoperator, but at the same time it provides such automatic operation andcontrol that, the manual labor of the operator necessary for eachfilling operation is reduced to a minimum, whereby the operatormaintains a maximum of efficiency during, the entire working day.

It is therefore a major object of the invention to provide a, novelsemi-automatic apparatus for filling av shipping container or. the likewith, a plurality of smaller packages.

It is a further object of the invention to. pro.- vide a novelvassociated feed guide or tunnel and power-driven pusher. apparatus forpositioning a predetermined. number of packages in a group before themouth of an open container and for pushing said group'of packages-as aunit'intothe container.

It is a further object of the. invention. to provide an associatedpower-operated conveyor and package pusher mechanism operable in timedrelation for accumulating a predetermined number of packages before theopen; mouth of: a shipping container or the, like and then pushing themen masse into the container.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel sub-combinationdevice consisting of a special funnel-shaped tunnel and associatedpackage stop device for use in a container packing'apparatus.

It is. a further object of the invention to provide a. novel pusherdevice and operating and control: mechanism therefor for thrusting aplurality of packages. as a. group toward the open mouth of' a shippingcontainer or the like.

It is a further object of the invention to provide novel correlatedmechanisms rendered operable by a suitable manual control and thenactuated by accumulation of packages before a feed tunnel for operatinga package pusher device at said tunnel.

It is a further object of the invention to provide novel apparatus forholding a large shipping container or the like positioned to receive aplurality of smaller packages before the mouth of a feed tunnel, andnovel release mechanism whereby the weight of the container when filledwith packages is sufiicient to cause it to drop away from said tunnel.

Further objects of the invention will presently appear as thedescription proceeds in connection with the appended claims and theannexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a generally isometric front view of a container packingapparatus according to a preferred embodiment of the invention,illustrating especially the feed tunnel through which the package groupsare inserted into the open mouth of the container, and also illustratingin lowered position the device for supporting the container before theopen mouth of the tunnel;

Figure 2 is another substantially isometric and generally diagrammaticview taken from the side end of the conveyor and looking to the right ofFigure 1, illustrating also the tunnel and associated container support,the latter being shown in elevated position with a container in dottedlines, and also illustrating details of the pusher operating mechanism;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the apparatus of Figure 1, illustratingespecially the relation and stroke of the pusher device relative to theconveyor and the feed tunnel;

Figure 4' is a front elevation of the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1,further illustrating the semi-automatic controls for the pushermechanism, as well as the release device for the container support;

Figure 5 is a'substantially isometric view illustrating thesub-combination of the special feed tunnel through which the packagesare fed in groups into the open mouth of the container and the stop wallwhich projects over the conveyor;

Figure 6- is a substantially diagrammatic view of the operating andcontrol mechanism for the pusher as viewed apart from the othermechanism of'Figure 1, illustrating details of the operating linkage forboth the package contacting and the manual controls for actuating thepusher; and

with the open mouth of a suitably held container, a semi-automaticpusher device set in action by...

the operator whereby the accumulated packages may be pushed as a groupthrough the tunnel to' ward the container, and "a container supportwhich is so balanced that its own weightdrops it away from the tunnelwhen it is filled with a predetermined number of packages. In theillustrated specific embodiment of the invention, v

packages are continuously delivered to the packaging station on a poweroperated conveyor, and the pusher is dually controlled, being set inoperation manually by the operator and then automatically actuated bycontact of a package with a suitable trigger disposed in the path of thepackagesbeing accumulated before the tunnel to complete its cycle. Theinvention also contemplates as a further sub-combination a novel supportfor the container to be filled, with the packages whereby the containeris releasably held with its open mouth aligned with the tunnel, and arelease device of such nature that when the container is filled itautomatically drops away from the tunnel.

Referring now mainly t Figures 1 and 2, packages of powdered soap, whichare in this instance rectangular cardboard boxes, are carried by anendless belt conveyor II in the direction of the arrow in Figure 1toward a packing station provided'with a suitable feed tunnel deviceindicated at I2 and later to be described in detail. Endless conveyor IImay be of any conventional type mounted on a suitable platform structureI3 which is supported rigidly on the floor by upstanding legs I4.Preferably conveyor II termi .nates at the packing station beyond tunnelI2 as will appear.

; The packages usually arrive from the package filling machine on beltII in a single row as at bottom row I6 in Figure 1. In the illustratedembodiment of the invention, I find it desirable to station a humanoperator at the packing station to stack the packages entering thepacking station in a double row on the conveyor, as illustrated by thetop row IT in Figure 1. Tunnel I2 is of such height as to accommodatethe double row of packages. The reason for this arrangement is that, inthe particular embodiment of the invention herein described, thecontainer to be filled is of such size as to accommodate two rows ofpackages in each layer. Obviously any number' of vertical rows ofpackages can be provided depending on the size of the container to befilled. 7

, Tunnel I2, as illustrated in detail as in Figures 4 and 5, is, ahollow open-ended, sheet metal, generally rectangular cross-sectionmember. Its bottom wall I8 is smooth and flat and preferably horizontaland its farther vertical side wall I9 is also smooth and flat anddisposed at right angles to wall I8; The opposite side and top walls 2Iand '22, respectively, converge outwardly rearwardly whereby the tunnelprovides an effective funnel for passing a group of packages toward themouth of the shipping container. The open entrance mouth of tunnel I2 isthus preferably V. 4 slightly larger than the cross-section of thepackage group to be passed therethrough whereas the front dischargemouth of tunnel I2 is substantially the same size as the opening in thetop of the container to be packed.

Rigidly and preferably integral with vertical side wall I9 of tunnelI2'*is' a rearwardlyproject- 'ing vertical stopwall 23'which asillustrated in Figure 2 extends across the top of the conveyor belt IIto prevent packages from passing the packing .station and dropping offthe end of the conveyonand wall 23 is provided with a recessed portion24 at its lower rearward corner "to accommodate a movable'packagecontrol trigger as will later appear. Tunnel I2 is also provided on itstop wall with a plurality of spring clips 25 which as illustratedinFigure 2 are adapted to secure the top flap of an open-ended container,the other flaps extending over the other tunnel walls, and thereby aidsin positioning the container with respect to the tunnel during packing.

Tunnel I2 is preferably rigidly secured to frame I3 as' by bolting,riveting or some other suitable manner stationarily locating it in suchposition that the passage therethrough-is perpendicular to the path ofconveyor belt I I. Stop wall 23preferably projects across the entirewidth of belt I I.

Container support The container for receiving the packages indicated atdotted lines at 2B in Figure 2 and a supporting device thereforcomprises a sturdy forwardly extending bar 21 which has its front endrigid with abracket 28 fixed upon a cross shaft 29 journalled atopposite ends on rigid frame members 3|, extending forwardly from frameI3. Support bar .21 is shown elevated for packing in Figure 2, and inits lower position in Figure 1. At its rear end, bar 21 has rigidlysecured thereto an upstanding post 32 adapted to engage the bottom ofcontainer 26 and maintain the bottom flaps closed. Just rearwardly ofbracket 28, arm 21 has secured thereto an upstanding member 33 providedwith a flat top plate 34 adapted to support the underside of container26 when the latter is in position to be filled before the tunnel.

As illustrated in Figure 7, shaft 29 has rigidly secured thereto a stopmember 35 in the form of a ratchet disk having a peripherally openradial stop shoulder 36. Bracket 28 is also rigid with shaft 29 and disk35. Disk 35 is resiliently connected by a coiled torsion spring 31concentric with shaft 29 to stationary terminal 38 of one frame member3| whereby spring 31 as indicated by the arrow in Figure '7 constantlyurges counterclockwise rotation of shaft 29 in Figure 7 incounterbalancing relation to the offset weight of bar 21 and anycontainer supported thereby.

Forwardly of shaft 29 and parallel thereto is a rock shaft 39 likewisejournalled in frame members 3| and on which is rotatably mounted thelower end boss 4I of a container support release lever 42 which extendslaterally and upwardly to terminate in a handle 43 within easy reach ofthe hand of an operator standing in the package stacking position besidethe apparatus. Boss M is resiliently connected to a stationary abutment44 on a frame member 3! through the medium of a coiled torsion spring 45concentric with shaft 39 and which has its opposite ends anchored inboss M and abutment 44, whereby spring 45 tends to rock shaft 39clockwise in Figure 7 and maintain leverAZ in the upri ht position of-Fiure 1. and to return the lever to that position whenever the. operatorreleases it.

Extending forwardly from boss 4| is a rigid Projection; or dog 46 whichis adapted to engage stop shoulder 36 of disk 35and thereby hold disk 35and shaft 29 against counterclockwise rotation. The rear end of bracket28 is connected above the level of shaft 29 by means of an elongatedtension spring 41 to a suitable anchor on framei3, whereby spring 41tends to pull bracket 28 and bar 21 toward the upright positionillustrated in Figure 7. Spring 41- is of considerable strength and, iscapable of swinging support 21 and an empty container thereon from thelowered position of Figure 1 to the elevated position of Figure 2. Whensupport bar 21 has been lowered to the position illustrated in Figure 1,engagement of projection 45 with stop shoulder 36 on disk 35 preventsspring i! from rocking shaft 29 counterclockwise in Figure '7 andprevents raising of the container support to the upright position ofFigure 2. This is the normal operative starting position of theapparatus. Spring 45 maintains dog 46 against shoulder 36 when support21' is elevated, and the cylindrical periphery of disc 35 preventsrocking of dog 46 beyond the ratchet when released. As'will appear laterin the description of operation of this apparatus, when lever 42 isrocked counterclockwise, to release stop shoulder 36 from dog 46, spring41 rocks bracket 28 and shaft 29- counterclockwise in Figure, 7 andthereby raises support bar 2'! to its horizontal position where it ismaintained by spring 4'! during the container filling operation.

On the floor adjacent and below support 21, a suitable roller conveyor48 is tied to frame I3 as by stake 49 and adapted to receive the filledcontainer when the latter drops thereonto under conditions to bedescribed.

Pusher mechanism of the packages on conveyor H and has a front surfacearea of sufiicient extent to engage all of the packages accumulatedbefore the open end of tunnel l2 so that movement of the pusher plate 5|at right angles to the path of the conveyor will push all of thepackages as a group into the tunnel.

To permit this movement at right angles to the path of the conveyor,pusher plate 5! as illustrated best in Figure 6 is supported onrearwardly extending posts 52 connected by uprights 53 to a flatplatform 54 which has its opposite sides slidably mounted on suitableparallel slides 55 and 56 rigidly mounted on frame l3. Mechanism forcontrollably reciprocating platform 54 and plate 5| between the dottedand full lin positions illustrated in Figure 3 will now be described.The stroke of plate 5|, which at the start of operation, is normally inthe full line position illustrated in Figure 3, is preferably equal tothe distance it is desired to move each package toward the bottom of thecontainer on supportZl.

Referring now to Figure 6, the lower end of platform 54 is pivotallysecured as at 51 to the upper end of a long operating lever 58 which ispivoted adjacent the floor on frame l3 at 59 and rockable in a planeparallel to the desired direction of movement of plate 5|. Lever 58 isconnected to suitable mechanism for selectively rocking lever 58. Thismechanism comprises a link 6| which is pivotally connected at its frontend atv 62 to lever 58 and is pivotally connected at its other end 63 toa crank arm 64 Which is loosely j ournalled on a shaft 65 suitablymounted beneath frame l3. Shaft 65 is constantly driven by a suitablepower means so that it rotates continuously, and a toothed ratchet wheel66 rigid with shaft 65 is thereby constantly rotated. As indicated bythe arrow in. Figure 6, shaft 55 rotates in a clockwise direction.Beyond pivot 63, crank 64 has pivotally mounted thereon at 6'! a pawl 68which is resiliently urged by a coiled spring 69 toward engagement withthe teeth of ratchet wheel 66.

Adjacent the ratchet assembly extends a pair of control fingers H and 72for determining engagement of pawl 68 with ratchet B6. Fingers H and 12are disposed on diametrically opposite sides of ratchet 66 and are rigidrespectively with concentric rods 73 and I4.

As illustrated best in Figures 3 and 6, outer hollow rod 14 which issuitably supported for rocking on frame ['3 is provided with a rigidradial arm 15 which, is pivotally connected by a link 16 to a manuallyoperable lever 11 pivoted on the underside of frame l3 so as to beconveniently accessible to the operator who is stacking the packages andoperating release lever 42. Lever I1 is biased to return toitsillustrated position by spring Ill;

The inner rod 73 projects through rod 74, and beyond the latter isprovided with a rigid radial arm 8| which is pivotally connected at 8.2to an elongated link. 83 pivoted at 84 beneath frame It to a horizontallever 85 rigid with the lower end ofa short vertical pivot post 86. Post86 is suitably journalled in an upright pivot on the frame l3 and rigidtherewith at its upper end is a horizontally swingable trigger 81 whichis adapted to occupy the space 24 below plate 23 and be, contacted bythe front side of the foremost package positioned before the tunnel.

Trigger 8! is formed with an arcuate portion 88 which extends throughthe recess 24 somewhat inwardly of stop wall 23 as illustrated in Figure3, so that it will be abutted and moved by a package in bottom row Itwhen the latter has been conveyed. before the tunnel. Nor mally trigger81 and its shaft 86 are urged to rotate in a clockwise direction inFigure 3 by means of a bias coil spring 85 which is anchored at one endon the frame i3 and at the other end on trigger 81. Spring 89 normallyretains trigger 87 in its inner limit position.

It will be seen that rocking of either lever 1'! or trigger 81 abouttheir respective pivots, either by the action of the operator or bycontact of a package with trigger 8'! will selectively actuate fingers"H or 72 to control engagement of pawl 68 will ratchet 85. In the startof actual operation, as will later be more completely described, pawl 68is held away from ratchet 66 by finger l2 and when the operator desiresto activate'the pusher, he rocks lever T! to remove finger 12 from pawl68 and allow spring 69 to move pawl- 68 into driving engagement withratchet 66' so that crank arm 84 is driven by shaft 65. After one-halfrevolution of shaft 65, finger "H engages and removes pawl 68 fromdriving engagement with the pawl. This is substantially repeated inreverse when trigger 81 is moved to release pawl 68 from finger 12.

The mechanical association of the parts is such that a half revolutionof ratchet 66 in driving engagement with crank arm 64 is suflicient tomove pusher the full distance between the dotted line and full linepositions of Figure 3.

Operation In operation, the operator stands at thecorner of theapparatus adjacent the packing station as illustrated in Figure 1 whereshe may stack boxes fromthe incoming row l6 into a double row l6, H, asalso illustrated in Figure 1. At the beginning of the operation, theusher is in the full line position illustrated at Figure 3. In thisposition it will be observed that the vertical side plate 50 of thepusher is disposed directly in the path of the boxes moving toward it onthe conveyor H and thereby prevents entry of the boxes into the spacebefore the mouth of tunnel I2 until the operator is ready for such totake place. Thus, the operator has ample time to stack the .boxes indouble rows outside the packing station and none of the packages mayenter the station until she is ready for the container packing operationto take place,

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, it is desired to movetwelve boxes in two vertical rows of six boxes each as a group into thecontainer. Hence, when the operator has assembled that number ofpackages or more in a dual row before the tunnel, the stop plate 50preventing the conveyor belt I from moving the packages into positionbefore the tunnel and conveyor belt frictionally slipping past the boxesat that point, the operator is now ready to accomplish a containerpacking operation pro vided a container is in place on support 21.

Before or after stacking of the boxes, the operator picks up a containerwhich is usually open-ended in flat collapsed condition, opens it totubular form and places it on support 21 with the front flaps openupward and the rear flaps held closed by upright 32. The support 21 ishere held in lowered position by engagement of dog 45 and stop shoulder36. Then release lever 42 is pushedtoward the conveyor to remove dog 45from the path of stop shoulder 36, thereby enabling main spring 41 andauxiliary spring '31 to rock support 2? and container 25 up to thehorizontal position of Figures 2 and 7. The open front flaps of thecontainer are adapted to externally telescope with tunnel l2 and the topflap slides into gripping engagement with the springs 25. When theoperator releases lever 42, spring 45 rocks the lever back to itsupright position, this movement being stopped by contact of dog 46 withdisc 35.

Container 25 is now in position to be packed. Below the conveyor, shaft65 is continuously rotating but pawl 68 is held out of drivingengagement with ratchet 66 by finger 12 as illustrated in Figure 6 sothat crank 54 is idle. The operator now trips lever 11 by hand androcking of lever l'l transmitted through linkage i5 and i5 and rod 14actuates finger T2 to lift that finger out of the path of pawl '68 topermit spring 69 to move the pawl into driving engagement with ratchet66. Crank 64 starts to rotate with ratchet 66, thereby rocking lever 58through link 6| and sliding pusher plate 5| rearwardly away from tunnell2.

8 Crank 64 rotates thus with ratchet 65 for onehalf a revolution ofshaft 65 and then the drive therebetween is interrupted due to finger Hwhich remain in the path of pawl 68 removing pawl 68 from drivingengagement with ratchet 66. At this point of drive interruption, pusherplate 5| has been moved back to the dotted line position illustrated inFigure 3, and plate 50 is no longer in the path of the stacked packageson conveyor and the latter now moves the packages toward the right inFigure 3. When the required twelvepackages become located before themouth of tunnel I2, the pusher is now automatically operated to push thetwelve packages as a group at right angles to their path of movement onthe conveyor directly into the tunnel I2. This automatic operation isdetermined by contact of the lowermost forward package of the group withtrigger 81. When trigger 81 rocks about pivot 86 in response to pressureof that package, it operates through links 85, 83 and 8| and rod 13 toremove finger ll from its restraining influence on pawl 58 and therebypermit spring 69 to again move pawl 68 into engagement with drivingratchet 66, so that crank arm 64 again moves for another half revolutionof shaft 65 in driving engagement with pawl 58. This movement of crankarm 64 is such as to operate link GI and lever 58 to move pusher plate5| forwardly toward the full line position illustrated in Figure 3. Whenshaft 65 has rotated one-half revolution pawl 68 contacts finger 12which has been moved back into its path by a suitable spring 10 afterthe operator lets go of lever 11, and pawl 68 is again removed fromdriving engagement with ratchet 66 to stop movement of the pusher platewhich by this time has reached the full line position of Figure 3. Thismeans that the dual row of packages which had been standing on theconveyor at the mouth of the tunnel have now been moved as a group intothe tunnel, and the pusher mechanism, having completed a cycle, is readyfor the next operation. Advance of the group of packages on the conveyorbeyond the tunnel during pusher plate movement is of course prevented bystop wall 23. When the packages have entered the tunnel, trigger 81 andfinger 1| reassume their original positions through actuation of returnspring 89.

The operator then insures that another group of twelve packages in dualrows is arranged adjacent plate 50, before she once more manipulateslever TI to start the above described operation of the pusher mechanismall over again. This time, as pusher plate 5| advances to push the groupof packages from the conveyor into tunnel l2, the second group contactsthe previously advanced group in front of it, and pushes the latterforwardly through the front end of the tunnel into container 26. Whenthe pusher operation is repeated the third time, the forward layer orgroup of packages is moved into the bottom of container 26 and thesecond group of packages has also been pushed into the container, thusfill-v ing the container with its capacity of twenty four packages.

The length of bar 21 is such that the filled container 26 exerts aturning force on shaft 29 which now overbalances the combined pull ofmain spring 4'! and auxiliary spring 31, and the support and containertogether rock about shaft 29 to drop away from tunnel l2 and down to thelowered position of Figure l. The support-is locked in this position byreason of dog 46 reengaging stop shoulder 35, so that the operator 9 howhas ample time to place the filled container orrconveyor 48 and placeanew empty-container on support 2'! ready to start thepacking operationsover again.

While we' have described an-operation wherein threestrokes of the pusherare required to pack the first container, and two strokes for packingeach succeeding container, it will be understood that this may varydepending on the depth of thecon-tainer and other factors.

We have thus provided a packing device for filling a shipping containeror the like with a number of smaller packages which is semi-automatic inits filling operation and requires a minimum of manual labor byattendant or operator while at the same time preserving all of theoperations under the full control of the operator. All of the controlsare arranged adjacent the hands of the operator whereby she may stand orsit on a stool at the package station and devote her full attention tothe packing operation and accomplish the same with maximum efficiency.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms Without departingfrom the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The presentembodiment is therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrativeand not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by theappended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and allchanges which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of theclaims are therefore to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States LettersPatent is:

1. In a container packing apparatus, a packing station, a movableconveyor for delivering packages into said station and upon which saidpackages may be accumulated in desired groups prior to entry into saidstation, means for holding an open-end container in packing position atsaid station, means movable transversely of the conveyor for pushing agroup of said packages oil the conveyor toward said container, means atsaid station for funneling saidso-pushed group of packages into saidcontainer, and control means for timing actuation of said pusher withpackage feed comprising means normally in the path of packages on saidconveyor for retarding advance of said packages into said station untila desired group has been accumulated on said conveyor, manuallycontrolled means for activating said pushing means and removing saidretarding means from said path, and means controlled by the group ofpackages moving into said station for actuating said pushing means inits container packing stroke and returning said retarding means to saidnormal disposition in said path.

2. In a container packing apparatus, means for holding an open-endedcontainer in packing position, a feed guide through which packages areadapted to be pushed into said container, a continuously movableconveyor for advancing said packages into alignment with said feedguide, a pusher transversely movable back and forth across said conveyoradapted to push a group of packages off said conveyor and into saidguide with each container packing stroke and a stop member transverselymovable with said pusher normally extending across said conveyor in thepath of packages on said conveyor to cause and permit accumulation of agroup of said packages on said conveyor before permitting them to feedinto the path of said pusher.

3; In a container packing apparatus, abackage pusher movable between afirst and second position for pushing groups of packages toward anopen-ended container, means for feeding groups of said packages into thepath of said pusher, power means for moving said pusher, a manuallyoperable control for connecting said power means to move said pusher inone 'direction between said positions, and a package operated controlfor connecting said power means to move said pusher in the otherdirection between said positions.

4. Inthe apparatus defined in claim 3, wherein actuation of said manualcontrol also starts feed of a group of packages into the path of saidpusher, and said package operated control comprises a trigger contactedby a foremost package of said group when said group has been positionedin the path of said pusher.

5. In a container packing apparatus, a reciprocable pusher devicemovable between a normal forward position and a rearward position, aconveyor for moving packages into the path of said pusher, power meansfor moving said pusher, manually controlled means for actuating saidpower means to move said pusher from its forward position to saidrearward position, and package operated means for actuating said powermeans to move said pusher from said rearward position to said forwardposition in a container packing stroke.

6. In the container packing apparatus defined in claim 5 stop means onsaid pusher extending across said conveyor in said forward position ofthe pusher, said stop means being removed to permit advance of saidpackages into the path of said pusher when the latter is retracted toits rearward position, and means for stopping said advancing packages inthe path of said pusher prior to said container packing stroke of saidpusher.

7. In the container packing apparatus defined in claim 5 said packageoperated means comprising a trigger adapted to be contacted by aforemost package when a desired number of packages are disposed in saidpath.

8. A feed tunnel subassembly for a packing devic comprising a generallyrectangular hollow frame having a flat bottom wall and one vertical sidewall, and an integral rearwardly projecting stop wall extending inalignment with said vertical side wall.

9. In apparatus for packing a container with a plurality of smallerpackages, a packing station, means for feeding packages into saidstation, a package pusher device in said station normally disposed inthe path of said packages being fed into said station, means for movingsaid pusher device out of said path to permit entry of a group ofpackages into said station and means responsive to introduction of agroup of packages into said station for moving said pusher device backacross said path to push said group of packages toward a suitably heldcontainer.

10. In a container packing apparatus, a movable conveyor, a packingstation, a funnel and a container support at one side of said conveyorat said station, a pusher disposed above said conveyor at said stationnormally in the path of articles on said conveyor so as to prevent entryof said articles into said station, manually controlled power drivenmeans for moving said pusher away from said funnel to thereby permitentry of said articles into said station and for maintaining said pusherin its retracted posi- 11 tion until a predetermined supply of saidarticles is positioned between the pusher and the funnel, means at saidstation in the path of the articles on the conveyor for arresting saidarticles between the pusher and the funnel, and means i triggered by theleading article fed into said station on the conveyor for moving saidpusher across the conveyor toward said funnel in a container packingstroke and for maintaining said pusher above the conveyor until saidmanual 10 controlis again exercised.

CURTIS DARWIN RICE.

GLENN GORDON COOK.

Thefollowing references are of record in the 12 REFERENCES CITED file ofthis patent: v

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Mudd Nov. 14, 1933 Ranney et al.Apr. 17, 1934 Kimball et al. July 14, 1936 Kimball et a1 Feb. 22, 1938Kimball et a1 Feb. 28, 1939

